Washington State Attorney Matt Menzer

Matt Menzer, a Washington auto accident attorney who’s been practicing law and representing plaintiffs for over 20 years in the areas of personal injury, medical malpractice, wrongful death and other areas, provided the following tips for anyone who's been involved in a car accident in Washington:

• Avoid giving tape recorded statements. It is not in the injured party’s best interest to give a tape recorded statement to the other driver’s insurance company. If a statement needs to be given, its best to have a Washington car accident lawyer present.
• File a police report. One of the first things that that a person involved in an accident should do is file a police report if the police don’t come to the accident scene. It is actually a requirement of Washington state law which is rarely enforced. It's very helpful if the police haven’t been called to the scene to file that police report in order to fully document what’s happened.
• Seek the advice of counsel. My advice is to contact a lawyer and let the lawyer act as the intermediary between the injured party and the insurance companies.
• Attend to medical issues. A piece of advice that I give my clients is to concentrate on attending to their medical issues. After contacting the attorney, worrying about the details of the legal claim can wait. People who are injured need to focus on getting the medical care that they need.
• Be a good patient. I advise my clients that it’s very important for them to be good patients, to follow their doctor’s advice, to take advantage of any follow up care or treatment that’s recommended and to concentrate their efforts on doing everything they can to heal and to get better.

Understanding how Washington car accident lawsuits are handled and when to contact a Washington car accident attorney are likely the last things on your mind when you've been injured. However, it's important to at least make an inquiry about whether you might have a case – and most attorneys offer a free, no obligation consultation.